For some time, I’ve been meaning to write about a rather disturbing lack in the blogosphere. But this morning, I have my excuse to finally do it.
A long time ago (a couple years, which is an eternity in blog-time), Steven Den Beste categorized most bloggers into two categories — those who create original content, and those who call attention to items elsewhere. He originally called them “writers” and “editors,” but one of his readers immediately suggested the far-more-memorable “thinkers” and “linkers.”
I’ve aspired to be more of a “thinker” than a “linker.” It’s largely a matter of practicality for me; I don’t have the sources to come up with great scoops, nor do I have the time to track down items and be the first to “break” them. What I can do is look at events and ruminate about them, take my time to properly ponder them, and then bloviate at my leisure.
But one thing I’ve noticed is that the right tends to dominate the “thinkers” category. There’s the above-mentioned (and much missed) Steven Den Beste, Wretchard, Austin Bay, Will Franklin, Bill Whittle, and the non-blogging Victor Davis Hansen, just to name a few.
But where are the thinkers of the left? Where are the serious essayists, the scholars, the contemplators who would provide balance to the sheer intellectual power of the above?
Scrappleface’s Scott Ott noticed that, too, and wrote about it. But where he went for satire, I’m going to be a bit more serious.
I went looking through the big liberal blogs, and was left wanting. Atrios? Nope. Eschaton? Nope. Oliver Willis? God, no. The day Cousin Oliver posts more than two paragraphs of his own original thoughts, I’ll lick my cat.
And what passes for intelligent analysis and discourse on the left? One of the most popular pieces of the last week was this one. And a quick perusal of it shows a propensity for personal attacks and unsupported allegations than anything else.
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Hey, Oliver, I’m feeling a bit insecure about my position at Wizbang. I got this (utterly unfounded) hunch that Kevin might be looking to dump me.
If I could impose on you for a huge favor, could you put up a “Kevin Must Fire Jay Tea” demand and clock? After your “Brit Hume Must Go” campaign, I figure that ought to give me some serious job security.
The only way I think I could improve my chances of sticking around would be if Kos (spit) endorsed and campaigned in favor of someone to replace me. But I doubt I could arrange that.
J.
slarrow,
you might want to check out Obsidian Wings or possibly Tacitus (on a good day) to read posts and comments by people of varying viewpoints who at least attempt to take each other seriously. I agree that partisan snark and reflexive ad hom are used all too frequently by certain blogs…ahem…but that’s why we have so many to choose from.
‘I’ve aspired to be more of a “thinker” than a “linker.” ‘
You’ll have succeeded when you’re a good enough “thinker” to see through pseudo-intellectual frauds parading largely content-free verbal (or textual) diarrhea as “thinking.” You ain’t there yet.
‘He was trying to prove a stupid cliche by fisking a humor post and that passes as proof for you idiots. That’s the best he could come up with – how sad is that?’
Almost as sad as the fact that he couldn’t be bothered to actually READ something by Dave Neiwert when he ran across his name. Best he could do was Google him and ineptly conclude that he’s “some kind of militia weenie” from the hits that came up. And this is the bright spark who wants to lecture the left blogosphere about its supposed lack of “thinkers.” Pathetic.
Emphasis Added is a prime example of well thought out, well written blog by the liberal.
From today’s post:
It’s an interesting paradox. On one hand, most white Americans are sincerely uncomfortable with the injustices of racism; as a society, we have made significant progress in eliminating the most visible forms of oppression, and in removing barriers for talented and ambitious minority individuals to succeed. The vast majority of Americans of both parties are not racist in the way we would recognize the meaning of that term before 1970. On the other hand, the unconscious tribal appeal of racism persists. It’s a seductively simple way for some people to explain away the disconcerting complexities of modern life, and it activates a whole set of emotions that appeal to group solidarity and self-esteem, even among educated, cosmopolitan and otherwise-sophisticated people. In a desperate struggle for political and economic power, the big red button of race is just too tempting to resist pushing – not because white politicians are necessarily still interested in oppressing blacks (though of course a few are), but because it is such a cheap and easy way of mobilizing white votes.
Crooked Timber has some good ideas as well.
I’m confused: do you think Brad DeLong doesn’t count because he’s not a liberal (he’s at Berkeley!) or because he’s not a thinker (he’s an economics professor!) or simply because you have never heard of him?
The problem is that original thinking requires effort and research. You can’t just start off scream at the top of your lungs, you have to actually figure out what’s going on.
I thought conservatives were convinced that all university professors — you know, the ones who devote their lives to things like effort and research — were all liberal?
Which is it? Are liberals incapable of research, or are all researchers liberal?
I think George Carlin is the truely great thinker of the modern left. He was the first to codify the 7 words that make up 90% of their thought process.
So George “Major League Asshole” Bush and Dick “Fuck You” Cheney are leftists?
I disagree with your premise, Jay. I rarely see more than a snarky line or two on Glenn Reynolds, and Michelle Malkin generally seems to offer equal doses of opinion and links … I try to read the right regularly, and often find interesting “think” pieces on sites like Mark in Mexico (markinmexico.blogspot.com), and RedState.org (mainly from the commenters, with heavy doses of party-fed info and links in the posts). But even Wizbang, Jawa Report and other sites are about equal parts links and longer pieces. I think the left and right are about the same on that score.
That said, the left part of the blogosphere is currently on offense, so finding “link” info that discredits Team Bush is where the party is. Maybe that’s why you see the ‘sphere as out of balance …
I agree with previous posters who said that doing longer essays takes a lot out of a person. I actually find my blog to be more work than the newspaper column I used to write, if only because it requres frequent maintenance (as opposed to delivering one 600 word piece once a week…) The goal, I think, is to provide a balance of your own thoughts and helpful links. I think bloggers on both sides of the aisle try to do that…
One would need to know almost nothing about the blogosphere or the American political landscape to conclude that this post is pathetically juvenile.
No matter where you read it, no matter who’s saying it, no matter what their political persuasion, “the people who agree with me are smart and the people who don’t are stupid” is *always* a sign of stunted intellectual and personal development.
The last time I heard someone say that with a straight face was as a college freshman — probably from someone reading an Ayn Rand book. I guess people like that never do manage to pry their minds open. They just grow up, start blogs, and read only opinions that bolster their ego.
Lest I be only critical:
For intellectual firepower, I go to tmpcafe.com and redstate.org. On bad days, the former is wonky academic and the latter is party hack, but there are more good days than bad, and on good days both contain enormous amounts of material of great intellectual heft and stimulation.
You can find smart people who disagree with you with a minimum of effort. This post should embarass you.
J Tea made two mistakes: he thought and he thought wrong.
That High-rollin Vegas attorney Mark Schopper got those contractors off! It just goes to show that a big money lawyer like Schopper can get you off if you pay enough money to them. The guy evidently represents movie stars and pro athelets too! What has this country come to?